


How to Lose a Highscore

by Sufferando



Category: No More Heroes (Video Games)
Genre: Canon Compliant, Fighting, Gen, Travis Strikes Again, arcade machines, video games - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-26
Updated: 2019-09-26
Packaged: 2020-10-28 19:40:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,727
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20784038
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sufferando/pseuds/Sufferando
Summary: Travis just wants to play video games, too bad the world we're living always wants to stop that





	How to Lose a Highscore

**Author's Note:**

> Made for a cancelled Zine surrounding Travis Strikes Again.  
If You like me, you can follow me on twitter @ Cowboyincustody

In the depths of a dingy night club, where all kinds of scum and villainy gawk about. With their hands down in their wallets or in the comfort of a woman’s breast pocket, there isn’t a lot of room for any type of retribution. A familiar face is present within the darkness there stands a man with his crotch firmly pressed against an arcade cabinet. The light from the machine being the only thing keeping the club being plunged into total shadow. Two men eyed the radical gamer from a table not too far away, next to a stain glass window, as they are disturbed by the light ruining the gloom.

“Who’s the dork in the red jacket?” says one of the men, taking a swig from his drink becoming more and more intoxicated. The more sober one replies. 

“I don’t know,” he takes a small sip from his drink “He’s been there for about four hours, just playing that damn game.” The drunkard looks to him perplexed. 

“FOUR HOURS?!” he shouts as splatter flies onto the other man’s face. 

“He must be out of his mind if he thinks he can just waltz right in and just play a game when there’s all this lovely gloom to take in.” the drunkard exclaims before taking another swig. Getting up the drunkard starts to make his way towards the cabinet. 

“Well I came here to enjoy myself and I’ll teach this twerp a lesson.” The less intoxicated man asks back. 

“A lesson?” Looking back the other man responds

“You know,” he thinks for a moment “can’t have people ruining the atmosphere.” He continues to walk forward as the other man sits back and enjoys the drink he was once sipping on. 

“At least I’ll have no one spitting on my drink.” the man says to himself. Highly intoxicated, he makes his way closer with the red jacket being his only guide through glazed eyes as it’s the only color that seems to stand out in the dank atmosphere. Coming closer his vision begins to focus on what else is attached to the jacket. Torn jeans with a belt that looks thick enough that it should be holster a gun rather than whatever was attached to the side. He noticed hair that stuck up straight, that was the first thing he touched to try and get his attention. Striking his hair the man shouted.

“Ya mind turning off the light box pal? You’re killing the mood!” it weaved back and forth before settling down. The man in the red jacket stayed silent as the drankard became more flustered. Pulling on the collar of the jacket, the drunkard tries to move him.

“Listen you little prick-” but to no avail as the man just stays in place as the he continues to pull in vain.

“What the hell?” getting tired of the feel of leather the man lets go and moves to the side. Finally getting a good look at his face, the drunkard sees a face attached to sunglasses that reflect the game’s screen and a slacked jaw that drools from obviously playing the game for too long. 

“God, “ -the drunkard blurts out “You’ve gone fully brain dead ya lunatic.” He takes his hand and prepares to hit the back of the man’s head. 

“Lets see if this’ll wake ya up!” without the drunkard’s expectation, the man catches the hand. A sound from the cabinet makes a noise of failure as the man removes his glasses. 

“Great,” the man finally speaks “You just made me lose.” His grip tightens as the drunkard cries out in pain and confusion.

“What the hell?” he panics “J-just who the hell are you?!” The man turns around to face the drunkard. He notices pale skin attached a t shirt of some kind of cartoon character. The man just stares, gritting his teeth and letting out heavy breaths.

“The name’s Travis, Travis Touchdown!” he snarls “And you just made me lose the high score on Electric Thunder Tiger!” Looking up he notices the window by where the booze guzzler came from. He removes his grip, moving at speeds that some would say are super sonic (but he is drunk), he gets behind the drunkard. “For that I have the perfect move to test.” Grabbing his back he flips him over his body, managing to use his own body weight to counter the larger gentleman. Before releasing the body, Travis cries out “DEFENSIVE DEFENESTRATION REFLEX!” as his own force sends the drunkard out the glass window. 

The bar is now at a standstill with the gloom overtaken by the small bit of light left by Travis. He takes a moment to look at all the damages, he smirks “Huh, looks better than when I first came here.” The cabinet makes another sound, his smirk turns into biting his lip “Ah, shit!” turning around reveals that the screen of machine says ‘GAME OVER’ and ‘0 lives, Continue?’ Travis takes a seat in front of the screen, removing his sunglasses and placing his head into his hands. The man who was seated with the drunkard walks over to the youngster. He hears subtle sobs coming from the young man as he continues to edge forward.

“Are you crying?” the man asks. Travis sniffled slightly,

“Do I have to throw you out the window too?” before wiping off whatever liquid was on his face and putting on his sunglasses. He moves his stool closer to the cabinet and begins to dig through his pockets. “Shit.” he blurts before rapidly digging through his pockets.

“What’s wrong?” the man chirps in, taken Travis by surprise as he’s now to the side of him. Laying off his belt, Travis composes himself before making his next comment.

“A friendly-type, aren’t ya?” Travis spits out as he continues to dig through his pockets.

“I see you’re in distress, my chum.” The man reaches into his pockets and reveals rolls of quarters “Could this be what will cure your worries, my chum?” as he places them before Travis. He stops digging through his pockets to snatch the quarters as he faces the friendly man. 

“What’s the deal pops?” He starts to unravel the quarters, counting them as he places them by the screen. “Grandchildren don’t wanna spend time with you because you’re too creepy?” smirking as he places a quarter in the machine “Don’t blame them.” The cabinet springs to light as the brightness of screen ruins the dark atmosphere of the club once again. 

  
“What’s the deal with this game cabinet?” the man chimes in bending over to watch the screen along with Travis. Concentrated on the game, Travis tries his best to respond.

  
“Well the guy on the screen- WHO I’M PLAYING AS!” yelled as he narrowly missed an on coming enemy within the game. Clearing his throat to continue with “Is named uh… Electro Triple Star and he uh… wants to protect the- SHIT SHIT!” he screams as the game cries again.

“GAME OVER” Travis sighs once again and grabs another quarter to place in the machine once again. The man leans over, getting closer to the screen and even closer to Travis.

“Why play this game,” the man smarms “what are you even accomplishing by playing this game?” The game makes another sound as Travis turns to face the man. 

“GAME OVER” the machine chimes. The man looks to Travis, surprised by his dramatic turn. Not being able to look him directly in the eye he notices the tears streaming down his cheeks. 

“Jesus kid,” he sniffs and takes a step back “didn’t mean to offend you that much.” Travis stares at the man for what seems like hours before raising his hand and pointing at the screen.

“You see that man right there?” The screen shows a pixelated character sporting electrodes and emanating all sorts of sparks. “That’s Electro Triple Star, I think he’s my hero.” The man is taken aback by what Travis just spued, choking slightly on whatever he was chewing on.

“But kid,” The man coughs slightly “He’s not real…” Travis glares back, being just as confused as the man.

“Never expected anyone like you to understand,” Travis turns back to the screen “All my life I’ve been surrounded by people just wanting to pay their debts with blood. Never wanting to do anything in life except rack up more debt. They build up enough that one day someone as desperate as they are will one day come for them. Trying to clean up their own debts, Electro isn’t like that. He’s not cruel as a hit man or as kind as any of the girls in Pure White Lover Bizarre Jelly.” 

“The hell is that?” the man cuts in.

“Forget it!” Travis takes control “He’s just a guy… you know? He doesn’t want anything from anybody but to just do good, he’s a… hero.” The man begins to laugh.

“Oh my my…” The man continues to laugh “Don’t you know young Travis Touchdown? There are no more heroes!” The man pulls out a samurai sword that he lifts over his head, he strikes down at Travis’ back. It cuts through the air and keeps falling until the blades path falls to the side and lands to the floor. Along with the man’s hands. Travis pulled out his beam katana before the man could slice into his back. He moves from the seat and picks up one of the man’s hands. The man is speechless, he is stuck in his strike pose.

“You know,” Travis comes over and puts a hand on his shoulder “I’d you should try to get better but I don’t think that’s possible any more.” Travis walks away, the man still stiff falls to his side as Travis makes his way to the front entrance. He throws the hand to one of the bar keeps before going outside.

“If you wanna talk to anybody about damages, talk to him.” Outside he makes his way to his motorcycle and takes off towards the morning sun. He takes a sigh of relief at the new day arriving.

‘Man,’ he thinks to himself ‘I should of really beaten that score before I left.’ The cycle picks up speed as it races towards his next highscore. Maybe he can actually beat the next one he finds. 


End file.
